💥First direct witness on Ukraine call >> Top WH Ukraine expert & decorated military officer will tell impeachment investigators he twice reported concerns about Trump’s pressure tactics on Ukraine nytimes.com/2019/10/28/us/… #UkraineGate #Impeachment
LtCol Vindman wasn't just worried about Trump's illegal demand. As a natsec expert AND Soviet immigrant, he understood the implications: Dragging Ukraine into partisan investigations would undoubtedly result in losing bipartisan support—bad for OUR natl security, good for Russia. 
Trump propagandists smear hero Vindman b/c the truth is clear as day. His testimony is first-hand direct evidence of Trump's abuse of power, directing a campaign to pressure Ukraine to benefit himself—& Russia—at the expense of our national security goals. int.nyt.com/data/documenth…
Trump propagandists smear Lt Col Vindman as they smear anyone who dares speak the truth. B/c the truth is damning. Vindman's heritage as a refugee from Soviet Ukraine gives him greater insight into his work serving the US, as diplomat, scholar & soldier. nytimes.com/2019/10/29/us/…
⚠️No low is too low for Trump/GOP. Smears are key to Putin's propaganda playbook. ESPECIALLY a patriot & hero like Vindman. Recall Mueller
✅DISINFORMATION
✅MUDDY w/ CONSPIRACY THEORIES
✅GASLIGHT, CONFUSE
✅LANGUAGE GAMES
✅WHATBOUTISM
✅FLIP ACCUSATIONS ONTO ACCUSERS
✅SMEAR∞
✅DISINFORMATION
✅MUDDY w/ CONSPIRACY THEORIES
✅GASLIGHT, CONFUSE
✅LANGUAGE GAMES
✅WHATBOUTISM
✅FLIP ACCUSATIONS ONTO ACCUSERS
✅SMEAR∞
Decorated army officer gives fresh ammunition on Trump & Ukraine. The first sitting WH official to testify in #impeachment investigation, #Vindman is the 1st to provide direct first-hand evidence confirming many details of Trump's alarming abuse of power. latimes.com/politics/story…
Terrific piece on "crème de la crème" Vindman & right-wing anti-Semitic smears questioning his patriotism. @juliaioffe notes it's loyalty to Trump—NOT country—that matters to them. B/c the same folks never questioned Ukraine-born Parnas & Fruman's loyalty. gq.com/story/alexande…
#Vindman testified the Ukraine call transcript, made by voice recognition software, omitted key language on Biden & Burisma. Vindman added them but his corrections weren't included, probably b/c transcript was moved to secret server nytimes.com/2019/10/29/us/… #Impeachment #Maddow
Lt Col Vindman's corrections to the rough transcript record of Trump's July Ukraine call were rejected, for unknown reasons. "That's shocking, and NOT standard operation procedure," fmr Ambassador to Russia, Michael @McFaul tells Rachel @Maddow. #Maddow #UkraineGate #Impeachment
NYT: "Vindman did not testify to a motive behind the editing process. But his testimony is likely to drive investigators to ask further questions about how officials handled the call … and whether those moves were meant to conceal the call’s most controversial aspects." #Maddow
Senior White House official testified in #impeachment inquiry that *Trump undermined national security* with pressure on Ukraine to investigate his political rivals. @kyledcheney @AndrewDesiderio politico.com/news/2019/10/2…
NEW: #Vindman testified he was convinced a quid pro quo existed by July 10, with Trump personally blocking $400 million in military aid to Ukraine to force that country to publicly announce an investigation into rival Joe Biden and his family cnn.com/2019/10/30/pol… #impeachment
Trump loyalists Zeldin & Ratcliffe tried to discredit Vindman w/ GOP propaganda in impeachment depo: Zeldin pushed the dual loyalty smear. While Ratcliffe played w/ language, disputing V’s use of word “demand” to describe Trump pressing Ukraine for investigations of Biden, Dems🙄
Vindman believed the existence of a quid pro quo was clear during a July 10 meeting w/ 2 Ukrainian officials. That’s when political hack #Sondland told them Ukraine had to deliver "specific investigations” in order to get the WH meeting that would show US support against Russia.
Just insane: Bolton instructed Vindman to prepare a memo so big guns Bolton, Esper, Pompeo could present a “unified govt-wide interagency” force to convince Trump to release military aid to Ukraine ASAP. They went to his NJ resort to argue the case. Trump refused. He wanted dirt.
By the time Vindman came to him in late July, WH lawyer Eisenberg knew admin was pressuring Ukraine for political purposes. Vindman came to him after July10 meeting where Sondland—at Trump's direction—pushed Ukrainian officials to investigate Dem rivals. Eisenberg is🔑to coverup.
🧐Trump's Ukraine call was so "perfect," it alarmed top WH officials, who alerted WH lawyers, who locked the rough transcript away, together w/ notes of the call, refused to insert corrections that included Biden & Burisma by name, and told officials not to tell anyone about it.
